When to file a tax return?

Dutch income tax return due date

Your Dutch income tax return is due by 1 May following the fiscal tax year. Income tax return filings submitted before 1 April will be processed by the Dutch tax office within three months. It is possible to receive an extension on the due date, but it is sensible to request this in good time to avoid missing the deadline. Note that interest charges may apply if you miss a payment due.  

Requests from the Dutch tax office

If the Dutch tax office needs more information about your income, it will send you a request to file an income tax return. This request is usually sent via a hard-copy letter to your home address (the address at which you are registered with your local municipality). 

Voluntary filing multiple income components

Even if you do not receive a formal demand from the Dutch tax office to file your income tax return, you may be asked to do so 'voluntarily'. This would be the case if you received other income components alongside your (main) employment with a Dutch employer. Such as income from other activities.

Voluntary filing for a tax refund

Even if you do not receive a formal demand from the Dutch tax office to file your income tax return, you may want to do so voluntarily. You may be entitled to a tax refund for a part year (if you arrived or left in the middle of a tax year), study expenses, medical expenses, mortgage and residential home purchase costs. You can find more information about this in the allowance section. You will need to file an income tax return to receive a refund. Even if you did not work and have no taxes due for a tax year in which you had tax-deductible expenses, you need to file your income tax return for that tax year. The actual refund may be given during a later tax year when you owe income tax. 

Income tax filing when exempt from Dutch income tax

If you are exempt from Dutch income tax, for instance because you work for an international treaty organization or a diplomatic mission, you may still need to declare your worldwide income. For instance, this is the case if you received a Dutch childcare allowance.  


If the Dutch tax office asks you to report your income, you are still required to do this. Your income tax exempt status will not be affected. If you have not received an invitation to file your income tax, you may still be required to declare your income to the Dutch tax office. This could be the case if you received an allowance based on your actual (world) income for the tax year (which is the same as a calendar year). You will receive a form from the Dutch tax office to declare your world income or your ‘not in the Netherlands taxed income’ (NiNBI).No action is required from you until you receive an invitation from the Dutch tax office. 


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When to file your U.S. taxes

The regular tax filing due date is 15 April. U.S. citizens and resident foreigners living outside the U.S. receive an automatic extension of 2 months for their tax filing due date to 15 JuneNote that you are required to pay any tax due by 15 April regardless. Interest charges apply on tax payments due after 15 April. 

You can request an additional 6 month extension to file your U.S. taxes by 15 October. To obtain the 6 month extension, file Form 4868 or ask a tax professional such as Blue Umbrella to help.  Note that you need to pay your (provisional) taxes by 15 April to avoid interest charges. 

You normally cannot get an extension of more than 6 months. However, if you are outside the United States and meet certain requirements, you may be able to get a longer extension. 


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